French fishermen close ports and the Channel Tunnel on Friday

At sea, fishermen will prevent ferries from reaching the ports of Saint Malo, Oysterham and Calais. On the ground, they will prevent trucks from accessing the Channel Tunnel charging station. Commission chief Gerard Rometty said during a press conference that this would happen “for several hours”. Talk about a “warning shot”. We want our permits back.”

London: ‘Contingency plans on hand’

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that the British government was already preparing for the protest. London will monitor the measure closely and also have “contingency plans” on hand. According to the British government, the French authorities must “ensure that there are no illegal actions and that trade is not affected.” Pas de Calais is the most important trade route of Great Britain. A blockage of ferries or trains passing through this tunnel could hurt the British economy.

• UK government gives France 48 hours to resolve fishing dispute

Dozens of requests have been rejected

There has been a dispute between France and the United Kingdom over fishing licenses after Brexit for some time. Paris believes that the British issue too few permits to French fishermen. These are fishing licenses for the waters around the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which are not far from the French coast.

Since Brexit, French fishermen have had to apply for a license, but dozens of applications have been rejected. Four out of ten applications will be rejected. This is not what the British promised to Brussels when they left the European Union, the French say.